@Charlie-Eve-Ryan Are you the one that posted the red riding hood image. I recognize the brush and have the same feeling that the texture gets to be a bit mechanical and repetitive? If you are going for a natural media look it sort of breaks the illusion. Be careful to add a bit more variety in the textures.

I dig the heart pupil concept, the contrast and the texture! The raven looks a little dazed and lovestruck though with the heart in his eye and his head tilted skyward. I don't know Poe very well but my impression has always been he was a melancholy fellow. The raven came to him when he was in deep grief and didn't bring any hope, so maybe if you flipped it so he's coming in from the top and looking down? It would read more like oppressive and suffocating grief (which is exactly what you want in art, right?! Ha!)

I love your aesthetic. This piece is evolving nicely too. Did you consider putting the elements on a toned gray background instead of the stark white? Even the shade of red could be more ominous. Perhaps with some of your texture and shadow. Poe is so dark and this piece is somewhat bright. The other think that I noticed first was the direction of the tears. It's right in your first iteration, but now that the bird is facing down, the direction of flow would change also. Consider what makes sense and ignore the rest.